Can singing together make us happy?

Stacy Horn has spent years singing in an amateur choir, the Choral Society of Grace Church in New York. While Horn claims to not have an exceptional voice or to be particular religious,singing in a choir makes her happy. And she’s not alone. More than 30 million adults sing in choirs in the United States. Why do so many people volunteer their time to singing together?

That’s a question Horn aims to answer in her book “Imperfect Harmony.” In it, she tells of her experiences singing and gets into the scientific benefits of singing with other people–some studies show that learning music can counteract the impact of aging. Singing has been know to relieve tension headaches and is even said to help people with asthma to breathe.

Why does music have such an impact on people? Can singing increasing happiness?

Guest:

Stacy Horn, author of “Imperfect Harmony: Finding happiness singing with others” and member of the Choral Society of Grace Church in New York